White Fire
by LoveAndWar1337
Summary: He was born with the white sun in his right hand. He was raised by Sages and a Lord. They believed him to be blessed by their god, Agni. One thing was for sure, the world would never be the same again. Reincarnated Naruto/Firebender Naruto
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_My life is my message."_

_Mahatma Ghandi_

* * *

Life for Naruto Uzumaki had been full of adventure, danger, fear, and joy that had nearly cost him his life on several occasions. He's faced a demon hidden in mist, he's faced a giant Biju, he fought a man who believed himself to be a god, he helped save a man from his own darkness, and he helped defeat the woman who had created chakra as they know it. Naruto turned a rival into a best friend, he finally fell in love, and he had two beautiful children. Then, in a blink of an eye, he was over a hundred years old, his wife had long since moved onto the next great journey, his children now had families of their own, and he had devoted his life to the ideals of Ninshu. The idea came to him in a dream, when he was still a young man, that he had the rare opportunity to promote more pease.

Naruto only really began his religious journey after the death of Hinata, which was possibly the most painful thing he had ever gone through. After moving to the highest mountain, in the Land of Fire, Naruto built a monastery devoted to Ninshu. Sasuke, plus both of their families, moved there to study the philosophy of Ninshu, just as Hagoromo Otsutsuki had done when he was still alive. In fact, many chakra users traveled to the monastery in search of wisdom or to learn under the two saviors of the world. It was a peaceful life, Naruto wouldn't have traded this life for anything, but time went on and man's greatest obstacle soon began to claim those of Naruto's generation.

Out of all of them, Naruto lasted the longest due to just how long an Uzumaki actually could stay alive. Their natural longevity allowed them to live almost twice as long as a normal person and Naruto could attest to that. At the current age of a hundred and ten years old, Naruto found himself walking through the courtyard with sakura trees lining the pathway. The trees were in full bloom, the sky was clear, and the air was cool. All in all, it was a good day to be an old man!

"Good morning Uzumaki-sama," one of the gardeners greeted, giving Naruto a bright smile as he walked by where she was working.

"Good morning Aiko-chan," Naruto greeted back, noticing that the young woman was actually commanding the tree with simple hand gestures, showing that she possessed a skill that only one other person had been born with.

As it turns out, the study of Ninshu had helped bring back many abilities that most people used to think they would never see again. Their deeper connection to nature, not to mention each other, had granted some with the powers of old. Still, Naruto thought that all were equal in the study of Ninshu and that their gifts are to be used for the betterment of others, not their destruction.

"Morning Ojiisan!" ah and here came the children of the monastery, always running around and so full of energy.

Their youth reminded Naruto of all the trouble he used to get into at their age, which brought a smile to his old face. As Naruto walked up the steps of the monastery, people greeting him everywhere he turned, the last Uzumaki could feel himself already getting tired. Time really had taken its toll on his body, making him wiser but also much weaker than he used to be. Yet as he reached the top of the monastery, a place where he would often meditate and absorb nature chakra, Naruto found the familiar sight of his son waiting for him.

"Good morning Boruto-chan," the old sage greeting, having always referred to his son in such a way.

"Otousan, you're looking older each time I see you," Boruto chuckled, despite his own aging body.

"Gaki, you never did learn to respect your elders, now come here and give me a hug!" Naruto laughed, opening his arms wide, to embrace his only son, as Boruto came closer to properly greet his old man.

"We all miss you, imouto keeps wanting to visit but the doctors say she's too sick to travel right now."

As the both of them taking a seat on a pair of cushions, with Boruto helping Naruto sit, Naruto couldn't help but nod in agreement. Himawari Uzumaki had been a somewhat frail girl, apparently not inheriting the Uzumaki resistant to practically every illness in existence, but she always tried her best to live up to the Uzumaki and Hyuga names.

"I see, and how is your family, is Sarada and your children doing well?" Naruto asked as he reached down and poured himself a small cup of water.

"Oh yes, although Karin-chan and Kushina-chan seem to have taken after your side of the family. They are always causing trouble in one way or another."

"I remember you being quite the troublemaker yourself, but I suppose it does run in the family," Naruto laughed before his laughter erupted into a violent coughing fit.

"Otousan!" Boruto shouted in alarm, only for Naruto to hold up his hand and stop his son before he even got up.

"I'm (cough) all right, but I'm afraid I'll be leaving soon," said the old sage, smiling at the confused look his son was giving him.

"Leaving, aren't you a little old to travel?" asked Boruto, not getting his father's hidden meaning.

"I think I'll take a little vacation, have one more adventure in my life."

It clicked, "Don't talk like that, you're too stubborn to die!"

It wasn't hard for Naruto to understand why his son would be reacting like this, even if he knew Naruto wouldn't live forever. In fact, Naruto knew that feeling all too well, having felt it for all of those he'd lost over the years. Some people forget that, despite all of Naruto's once legendary power, he is still just a man. His life would be over soon and he would have to intrust his teachings to the next generation. As their conversation continued on, Boruto noticed his father wasn't so much focusing on it as he was listening to the world itself.

"What's she saying today?"

"She says I've not much longer. Come, walk me down these old stairs, I wish to see my family one last time before my vacation begins," Naruto commanded and who was his son to deny his father that wish.

So that's what Naruto did, he said his goodbyes to those at his temple, making sure to leave specific instructions about how Ninshu should be used, and walked down the old mountain for the first time in a little under a hundred years. Apparently word got out that the savior of the world was coming because there was a great celebration in his honor, when they arrive in the thriving city of Konohagakure no Sato. Naruto was greatly surprised by how much things had changed since he left for the study of Ninshu.

People, with low chakra levels, had used technology to substitute for their lack of chakra power. They build machines to help them get around, massive buildings that touched the clouds, and the city had almost doubled in size since Naruto was the Hokage. Yet, as humanity advanced, nature seemed to not be as important to everyone as it used to be and that bothered the old sage.

"As you can see, a lot of things have changed since you left. Even when I came back, everything was so much more advanced than when I was a child." Boruto explained, but grew concerned when he noticed a frown on his father's old face.

"Oh yes, so much has changed indeed," there was a clear sign of disappointment in Naruto's tone, for the destruction of such beautiful nature was something all with sage chakra dreaded.

"Come Otousan, everyone is waiting for you," said Boruto as he helped his father out of the vehicle, they had been riding in, and out into the crowded streets of cheering people.

People had always been cheering Naruto's name, ever since he helped save the world that is, and he could sadly say that he was getting tired of it. Yes, he did manage to save the world, but so many brave men and women gave their lives to help him do so. So, to help people remember who those other heroes were, Naruto had a large stone wall engraved with all of their names on it. The wall was so large that it stretched on for a quarter mile and stood at about six feet tall, showing just how many people lost their lives in that last damn war.

"It seems everyone still remembers you Otousan, you've been gone for such a long time that most of them thought you had passed on," Boruto admitted, hoping that such praise would help his father's health but nothing seemed to have changed.

"What I did was such a long time ago, soon enough my name will be nothing more than a memory in the history of our people," Naruto sighed, a small smile forming on his face at the thought of finally being at peace.

"Come on, everyone is waiting for you inside."

With the help of his son, Naruto walked inside the large building, one that looked so much better than the ones in his time. There were no cracks in the walls, the lights seemed to be much brighter, and they used tile instead of wood. However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As they walked down the hallway, Naruto could feel the cold hands of death slowly getting closer, it wouldn't be long now.

"Otousan, are you alright?" the worry was clear in Boruto's voice, but Naruto waved off his concern and put on a strong facade.

"I'm fine, I've still got some Uzumaki stubbornness in me," that's when it happened, a sudden pain in his chest, his legs giving out, and everything going black.

For a moment, the ancient Uzumaki thought he had actually died but that all changed when he slowly cracked open his eyes. Instead of laying helplessly on the ground, Naruto found himself in a hospital bed with several machines hooked up to him, a sensation that he really didn't like. His deep connection to nature, not to mention being able to sense negative emotions thanks to Kurama, told Naruto that the group of people before him were worried. The first was obviously Boruto, then there was the ever sick Himawari, Sarada, and all of his grandchildren. Boruto had, no doubt, sent word of what had happened and they all came rushing to him.

"It's so nice to see you all, I'm glad everyone could make it," Naruto managed to say, his voice weak and his body was even weaker.

"Hello Otousan," Himawari greeted, taking off her own oxygen mask so that she could speak clearly to her father.

"Himawari-chan, it's so good to see you again, you too Sarada-chan," it was getting harder to keep his old eyes open now.

"Don't speak old man, save your strength," demanded the daughter of Sasuke Uchiha, hiding her own sadness behind a mask, just like her father did.

"I'm afraid I don't have any strength left to save, I'm not as young as I once was," said Naruto, in a poor attempt to lighten the mood, but no one laughed.

"Stop saying that, you're not going to die, you've still got years ahead of you!" Sarada had also apparently inherited her mother's stubbornness, not to mention her secret caring nature.

"It's not a sad thing, for me to finally pass on, I now know that I can trust the future to the next generation. I'm happy with the life I have lived, the people I have known, and the wonderful family that I see before me. Don't be sad, death is just another path, one that we all must take," his eyes could no longer remain open and slowly began to close.

"Ojiisan!" the little grandchildren cried as one, only for Naruto to use the last of his strength to pat each of them on the head.

"Make me proud little one's, make...me...proud," with that said, Naruto Uzumaki, the child of prophecy, the savior of the world, and the kindest man you could ever know, took his last breath.

The children began to cry while Boruto, Sarada, and Himawari pulled them into their embrace, trying not to let their own grief show. It was then that Boruto looked out the window and saw that it had began raining, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the death of Naruto Uzumaki. Then, breaking through the clouds like a gift from the gods, a ray of light came down and rested on Naruto's corpse.

"Enjoy your vacation, Otousan."

Over the course of the next year, a statue was built in Naruto's honor at his temple up in the mountains. The ways of Ninshu would last for the next several thousand years, with the warlike ways of Ninjutsu fading away into nothing more than a memory. Little did anyone know, even Naruto himself, that his vacation would indeed be his next big adventure. For, at the same time that Naruto drew his last breath, a baby was being born in another land altogether. As Naruto felt himself drift into death's embrace, something grabbed him and began to pull him back down.

"It is time for you to begin the next step in your journey, little Naruto."

At the same time as a great hero's passing, a child had been born in a land called the Fire Nation. This child was born into the mighty Fire Sages, his mother being a priestess of the god Agni and the boy having been born on the god's favored day. They believed that Agni would see this as a gift, for watching over the Fire Nation, and would use the boy to let his will be known. Little did they know that the tides of war would change the moment they let this child live. With his yellow spiky hair, resembling the sun itself, and his ocean blue eyes, this child would bring to them the wisdom of a sage.

Meanwhile, in a place known only as the Spirit World, a tiny creature suddenly appeared sleeping beneath a mighty tree. Nine long dark orange tails curled around its body to keep it warm while a massive red eye just barely cracked open before a sense of exhaustion pushed it back into the world of dreams.

* * *

The Fire Nation's capital city, built in the hollowed out remains of a long dead volcano, was something to behold for those that had never seen it before. Legends say that a previous Avatar, born on the island long before the Fire Nation became one united country, battled this massive volcano when it threatened to erupt and cover the entire world in ashes. Now a massive city occupies the caldera of said force of nature, featuring everything from the royal plaza to the main temple of the Fire Sages.

It was in this very place the Fire Lord Ozai, second son of Fire Lord Azulon, sat on his elevated throne in the ever intimidating throne room; the fire all around him waning and waxing with each breath he took and the mood he was in. It was in this room that his power was unquestioned by all, for he held dominance in both strength of will and political hierarchy. No major decision was made without his approval, from taxes to wartime planning, which is why the religious masters of the Fire Nation had asked for an audience with him. Now Ozai wasn't a religious man, by any stretch of the imagination, but he did understand the amount of influence such a group held over the people of the Fire Nation.

Slowly the massive doors to the throne room were swing open and no less than ten Fire Sages entered into the ornate room, guarded on all sides by thirty members of the royal procession itself. Leading the sages was the High Sage himself, a reasonably older man that had been a close adviser to Azulon and would have been one to Iroh had the man become Fire Lord. Yet what caught Ozai's attention was the young boy that walked beside the Fire Sage, dressed in their acolyte robes and with bright blonde hair pulled up into a traditional Fire Nation bun; although without the rest of his hair being shaved off.

"Hail, Fire Lord Ozai," the High Sage greeted as he and his fellows dropped to their knees and bowed to the Fire Lord with their heads touching the ground, although Ozai was distracted by something else to really pay attention to them.

Something was encroaching upon his domain and slowly taking control of the nearby fire away from him. Yet Ozai schooled his features, even though he was hidden behind a monsterous wall of flames, and spoke with all the authority that a man of his power and position commanded.

"I've granted you this audience because of your loyal service to my father before his passing, but my patience is not infinite. Why are you here?" Ozai asked, noting with a small amount of satisfaction the way all the other Fire Sages seemed to grow nervous at his tone, but that satisfaction nearly vanished when he saw the strange boy showed no such fear in the face of his power.

"Because our nation has been gifted with a blessing from Agni himself," the High Sage replied, getting a momentarily surprised look from Ozai before the fire in the throne room sudden blazed like never before.

"Superstition and prayers, blessings from Agni, this is why you waste my time?" Ozai's voice was calm, cold even, but the now raging fires showed his true emotions in a way words never could.

"Nearly six years ago, on Agni's favored day, our priestess gave birth to the young man standing beside me," the High Sage spoke without an ounce of fear, as if he knew something that Ozai didn't, "He was born with the White Sun in his palm, blue fire in his eyes, and the whiskers of a dragon upon his face. We bring him to you now, the greatest of our nation, and beg you to teach him the things that we cannon."

Everything was silent for a moment, you could hear a pin drop from across the throne room without straining your senses, and even the various fires around them seemed to no longer make any noise. Slowly Ozai got to his feet, his form imposing and covered in shadows from behind the still raging veil of orange fire, but things were not as they seemed. For not a moment later, without any warning whatsoever, the wall of fire suddenly seemed to lunge out at the Fire Sages like an angry dragon!

Many of the Fire Sages shouted in fight as their death came upon them, yet only the High Sage and the boy remained unmoved. Ozai himself watched in anticipation, waiting to hear their cries of agony from the very fire _he_ commanded, but suddenly that control was ripped right from his grasp! The orange fire stopped just before it could hit the High Sage before suddenly shifting into a nearly blinding white color. The now white fire then began to mold itself into a new shape, the shape of a mighty white dragon, and incircle the Fire Sages as if to protect them.

"What...What is this?" Ozai asked in complete bewilderment, having never experienced his own fire being ripped from him in such away, let alone turned pure white and given an all to realistic shape.

"This is Naruto," the High Sage began again, gesturing to the boy at his side who now had his right hand covered in white fire, "The chosen of our god, Agni. The one who commands the white fire and holds the sun in his right hand."

Ozai looked down at the boy once more, who still didn't flinch away from his gaze, and now saw potential. Yes, this boy could perhaps be worth his time after all.

"Hm, how very...interesting."

* * *

**I know I should be working on my other stories, but this idea just won't go away!**


	2. Prologue Part 2

**Prologue Part 2**

_"When the student is ready a teacher will appear."_

_\- ?_

* * *

Ozai had long since understood the importance of elevating your allies that are deserving of more and crushing the ones that overstep their bounds; even making some of the more annoying ones disappear into the night without even so much as a scream. It was for this reason that he employed both the finest generals and assassins in the known world, who were only ever challenged by the secretive Earth Kingdom order known as the Dai Li. So now the real question remained as to what type of tool he should turn this boy into, a boy that could rip fire from any bender's grasp and turn it whiter than the fresh winter snow. A warrior general would be the best option, not to mention it could go a long way in helping the war effort in a few years time, but only certain people possessed the aptitude for strategy on such a grand scale. An assassin on the other hand, one able to mold and control fire beyond the norm, could prove equally as valuable in a shorter amount of time.

Resolving to get nowhere on this matter anytime soon, Ozai decided that perhaps it was best to take his mind off the matter and go for a walk around the palace's indoor gardens and hopefully clear his mind. It was a technique suggested to him by his own father, which worked surprisingly well especially given the type of men that they were. With his loyal guards forming up around him, even in the safety of the Royal Palace, Ozai slowly made his way out of the throne room. Each step he took was measured imprecise, subconsciously calculated just like everything else he does, and it wasn't long before the smell of grass and trees greeted his nose. This small indoor waterfall had been a gift to Ozai's father, a relatively new invention at the time, but Ozai found himself enjoying it regardless.

"You seem troubled, I've never known you to leave the throne room except for sleep," Ozai resisted the urge to lash out at the sudden interruption, especially from his older brother who had disgraced the Fire Nation and dared to return home a failure.

"Iroh," Ozai greeted, turning to find his older brother sitting on a blanket with a cup of hot tea in his hands and an almost serene smile on his face.

"Ozai," Iroh greeted back, although his greeting actually sounded like he meant it, "Would you care to join me?"

Under normal circumstances Ozai would've said no, followed by a rather scathing remark to poke fun at his older brother, but Ozai also wasn't a fool. He knew that his brothers failure wasn't due to incompetence, weakness, or even arrogance. He also knew that Iroh was still a very strong fire bender and a great military tactician. Ozai paused at that, his analytical mind already putting pieces of a plan together as a smile formed on his face.

"I would," Ozai dismissed his personal guard with barely even a look, knowing that his dear older brother wouldn't dare attack him, before moving to sit down on a cushion right next to Iroh.

"So, what has you so bothered?" The eldest of the two brothers asked as he poured the Fire Lord a cup of tea and handed it to the man.

"The future of a child," Ozai had to take a sip of his tea to stop his smirk from being seen when he saw Iroh's eyes light up an interest before deeming a bit in sadness.

"Prince Zuko or Princess Azula?" It was no secret as to which of the Fire Lord's two children that Iroh favored, but that was to be expected given that Zuko was so much like Iroh's now dead son.

"Neither. The Fire Sages came to me with a young boy, saying that he'd been blessed by Agni and was a sign of the Fire Nations favor with the God," Ozai began as he took another sip of his tea, marveling at how much better his elder brother had become at making it.

"You've never put much stock in our country's religious affairs, are they still alive?" Ozai gave Iroh a bemused look at the older man's question, even though he wasn't necessarily wrong in asking it.

"They are, but not because I didn't lose my temper and attack them. While I did not put much force into it, it would have been enough to kill them all had it not been for the boy that they brought to me," the Fire Lord continued to mentally grin when he saw how much attention Iroh was now paying his story.

"You've never shown mercy to anyone."

"Because this boy did not gain my mercy, but took it by force. I've never experienced having my own fire taken from me, but even then this was something completely different. He turned the fire white and somehow molded it into the shape of a large dragon to protect him and the other Fire Sages. They requested that I take the boy in and teach him the things that they could not. So now I am faced with a dilemma," Ozai finished his story and his tea at the same time, setting the small cup back down on its tray as he finally turned to look at his brother completely.

"To turn him into a general, or an assassin. The two uses that our father told us any skilled fire bender was meant to become," it was clear that Iroh had become the general, as the eldest son he had no choice in the matter, while Ozai had become the assassin and remained within the Fire Nation to deal with any upstarts that would threaten the status quo.

"If I were to turn him into a general, then there would only be one man I could ask to teach him," despite all the things that Ozai might not like about his brother, no one could deny that the man was a great general.

"I'm retired and no longer general. I just wish to find peace, with my son's death and with how I have lived my life," Iroh said in a defeated tone, hanging his head a bit in shame while the tea sat cool in his hands.

"Very well then, the boy will become one of my assassins," Ozai stood back up to leave, ignoring the shocked look on Iroh's face.

"He is just a boy, can he not have a normal childhood?" Iroh asked.

Ozai paused mid step and turned to look at his brother out of the corner of his eye, "That path was denied to him the moment he was born, now he only has the option between greatness or shame. He will make a good assassin, the young are easily trained and conditioned. Thank you, brother, this conversation has helped me to decide the boy's fate."

The Fire Lord left not moments later, leaving behind his deeply conflicted brother who'd felt he'd somehow been maneuvered into a trap of some kind.

Iroh took a deep breath and began warming his tea once again, "You really do take after father so much."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the royal palace, Naruto stood before the assembled group of Fire Sages with his right hand outstretched and a small white flame flickering in his palm. His mind had been set on how the Fire Lord, the one every child of the Fire Nation grows up believing will protect them, had just attacked them for seemingly no reason at all. The small flame in Naruto's hand flickered a bit at his sudden spike of anger, only to simmer back down just a few seconds later.

"Remember, fire is as much a harmful element as it is a helpful one. Unlike the other elements, you must remain in complete control of it the entire time you wield it. For without control, even the extraordinary control that you possess, it can quickly grow out of hand and burn everything around you," the High Sage instructed as Naruto willed the fire in his palm to begin to take shape, seemingly with hardly any focus at all.

"But fire always does what I tell it to," as if to prove his point, every torch in the room suddenly turned the purist of white and almost seemed to freeze in place; this drew many looks from the other Fire Sages.

"Such is the gift that Agni has given you, but you should never take it for granted. Remember to always be humble, never allow your unique ability to turn you prideful lest your gift be taken away.

"If that were the case, they why didn't Agni prevent the Fire Lord from attacking us in the throne room?" Naruto's one question seemed to suck the life out of the room, leaving many of the sages glancing around nervously as if they would suddenly be struck down, "All you did was ask for his time and he tried to take our lives because of it. If Agni truly cared about people being prideful then wouldn't he have stripped away his powers?"

The High Sage took a deep breath as the torches around them returned to their normal flickering dull orange, a sign that Naruto had released his control over them, "The gods work in ways that we mortals rarely understand, no matter how hard we may try. Perhaps he allowed such actions to take place so that you would prove yourself in Fire Lord Ozai's eyes, or it could simply be he knew you would protect us. Their actions need not always be obvious to be effective."

"_A shinobi must see underneath the underneath,_" Naruto's eyes widened when a familiar yet unfamiliar voice echoed through his mind; an image of a silver haired man flashed for just a moment before fading away.

The sound of the doors opening quickly drew everyone's attention, revealing Ozai himself standing there in a perfectly emotionless face as the fires in the room grew just a bit brighter; Naruto silently wondered if he did this to appear cool or if it was just instinct. Still, everyone in the room quickly bowed to the man and it wasn't until then that Ozai decided to fully enter the room. He was the type of man that enjoyed having power over others, to know that his very presence alone forced them to place their faces to the ground.

"You may rise," as one, everyone in the room got back to their feet and gave Ozai their undivided attention; although the way Naruto's bright eyes bore into his amber ones made the hairs on the back of Ozai's neck stand on end.

"I shall take the boy into my home and teach him the things you can not. If what you say is true, then the Fire Nation will make good use of Agni's gift," Ozai stepped forward once more until he came to a stop directly in front of Naruto, forcing the blonde to look up at him, "Will you become someone that is remembered, I wonder?"

"He is chosen, he will do great things," one of the sages spoke up, only to be silenced when Ozai's soul piercing gaze fell upon him with all the ferocity of a great dragon.

"You all shall return to your temple, now," Ozai turned and began leading Naruto out of the room, his hand now placed on the young boy's back to guide him away and insure he doesn't look back to those that raised him.

Once they were further away and in a part of the palace only reserved for those that lived there, Ozai finally released his gentle hold on Naruto and simply allowed him to follow at his own pace. It was quite a display for the servants and slaves of the palace, to watch the flames grow mighty when Ozai passed but then turn pure white just moments later. Deeper and deeper they went into the palace before coming to a beautiful garden, on that Ozai had just come from in fact, and in that garden Naruto found an older looking man sitting next to a pond with a cup of tea steaming in his hands.

Slowly the two approached Iroh, Naruto always remaining a single step behind Ozai, but even the young blonde could tell this man already knew they were there long before actually entering the garden. The few lit torches in the garden seemed to be torn between remaining a normal gentle flame and turning white as they did for Naruto. Naruto had never experienced his before; someone able to keep control of fire while he was present.

"So you're the young man my brother has seen potential in," Iroh spoke up, his voice steady and gentle as he took a sip of tea, "It is a fate I am not envious of."

"I will leave him in your care, Iroh," Ozai said before turning and walking away without a moment's pause, "Teach him well."

Naruto just stood there watching the Fire Lord's older brother, not even so much as blinking, while a battle took place far beyond the perception of most people. If one were to look closely at the flickering flames then they would notice how they would shift between orange and white almost faster than one could blink. A battle for domination raged between the Dragon of the West and Angi's Chosen; all the while a gentle breeze blew through the garden followed by each flame suddenly snuffing itself out.

"Would you care for some tea, my student?"

Naruto moved and sat down next to his new teacher, "Yes, thank you."

* * *

**Well this is the end to the prologue, the next chapter should be taking place around the time the series officially starts.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 1: The Art of War Part One**

"_In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them."_

_Syb Tzu_

* * *

It was general propaganda, among the main islands of the Fire Nation, that the only stronghold left in the Earth Kingdom was Ba Sing Se. This was a lie, a lie told by the higher ups to give their people a peace of mind when it came to the war finally coming to a close and their family members returning home soon. The truth of the matter was that only about eighty percent of the Earth Kingdom was actually under Fire Nation control and only a small portion of that could be enforced through military might. Ba Sing Se was indeed one of the last major strongholds within the Earth Kingdom, having only ever had it's out wall breached by the legendary Dragon of the West, but all across the large landmass there was pockets of resistance. Cities like Omashu provided a strong military presence that was hard to deal with, considering its location and natural defenses, but it was the scattered villages that kept these great cities afloat.

It was on one of the many eastern fronts that a group of thirty villages sought the protection of a major city known as Durjayan, known as one of the only cities that has never been conquered by traditional means. The city was located just north of the Ruins of Taku at the entrance to a mighty mountain range that covered much of the northern land. Having been carved into one of the very mountains itself, Durjayan was home to one of the Earth Kingdoms greatest Generals, who quickly returned home after learning that it had come under siege by the Fire Nation.

Yue Fei started off as a simple Private in the Earth Kingdom military before quickly rising to the rank of General after only twenty years due to outstanding victories against the Fire Nation. He was known to crush his enemies completely, taking no prisoners at all, and nearly crippled the southern advance with his ruthless tactics. He demanded success from those beneath him and garnered respect from those above him, especially since he was also an earthbender of some renown. So it came as no surprise to anyone that his return to Durjayan meant the full stop of any Fire Nation advance in that area, for they guarded the entire northern route to Ba Sing Se while a mighty serpent made sure no ships could cross the waters near the Serpent's Pass. If the city did not fall the the entire northern army would never reach Ba Sing Se.

The Fire Nation General in charge of the northern campaign was a man named Iwane Matsui, a man of similar discipline as Yue Fei seeing as he also didn't believe in taking prisoners and was infamous, even in the Fire Nation, for allowing his men to run wild on any village they came across. His progress had been slow going, much slower than any of the other Generals, and the reason for this was because he had ordered his men to take everything of value from every village and battlefield they came across. Famous art, gold, and even people were shipped back to the Fire Nation, with the majority of it going to his own family while he gave just enough to his men to keep the satisfied. His constant victories were the only reason Fire Lord Ozai hadn't had the man killed, for his actions sickened even him.

So it should have come as no surprise when Iwane received a message from the Fire Lord himself that a new General was being sent to finally crush Yue Fei and that he was to offer the man his full support. Iwane ranged at the very notion of this one failure somehow earning him the Fire Lord's ire and set out to utterly crush Yue Fei before this new upstart, a man he's never even heard of, arrives to take his place! So he gathered his army, waking them in the middle of the night, and ordered a constant siege to begin until the very mountain Durjayan was built in came crumbling down on their heads. That was two weeks ago and Iwane's replacement was due to arrive within the hour.

All but the most necessary soldiers were pulled from the siege, ordered to dress in their finest armor, and positioned in parade formation to greet their new General. Banners of the Fire Nation were held by the leaders of each of the divisions that made up the entire northern army in that specific area, with the others being scattered about on their own missions assigned to them by Iwane. Even Iwane himself stood at the ready, garbed in freshly polished armor and a long red cape hanging from his pauldrons. His hair had been tied in a traditional Fire Nation bun while his mustache was properly groomed.

"Sir, the men are all accounted for," one of Iwane's advisers said with a deep bow at the waste, well aware of his General's displeasure of the whole situation and not wanting any of the man's infamous wrath turned upon himself or his family back in the Fire Nation.

"Return to your post, our guests are about to arrive," sure enough, many of the assembled men could see a group of mechanized tanks approaching their position, surrounding another armored vehicle that was just a bit large but clearly not designed for front line warfare.

The air itself seemed to drop a few degrees when the mechanized unit came to a stop, opening up their formation to allow the transport through, and all of the access hatches seemed to open at once. The men of each tank stepped out first, notably dressed in armor only given to Imperial Firebenders, and took up a formation on each side of the transport vehicle; which was dark inside to all those that looked. It wasn't the new General that stepped out next but a squad of the very recognizable and very legendary Yuyan Archers, with bows slung over their backs and gazes that could spot a fly buzzing around at a hundred yards. Even then the General did not emerge but instead it was a young woman, a young woman that even stole Iwane's breath away.

Then, finally, the new General arrived and Iwane felt his ugly sense of pride roar out like a volcano erupting with a vengeance! A boy, Fire Lord Ozai sent a _boy_ to take over for him against a military General just as ruthless as he! It was an insult to not only himself but to every man and woman assembled in this army! He looked barley in his late teens, not to mention his uniform was of a design that Iwane had never seen before! It was only thanks to his years of being a General that Iwane didn't lash out and simply kill the boy, or even allow his men to do it for him! It was just a _boy_!

Said boy was of an average height for being in his late teens, with his body being that of a fit young man from what Iwane could see. Instead of his uniform being the traditional black and red armor, the boy wore a white based armor with a gold trim to it like that worn during a funeral. Strapped to his left hip also seemed to be a sword of all things, something that led Iwane to believe the boy wasn't even a firebender given no self respecting bender would use anything other than their element, being about seventy centimeters long and four centimeters wide. Yet the most outrageous and odd thing that Iwane found about the boy wasn't his attire but the fact that he had _yellow_ hair and _blue_ eyes, almost making him look like a member of the Water Tribe.

Slowly and calmly the boy made his way forward, hands clasped behind his back while his head was held just high enough to show he was strong willed but not arrogant. The stunning young woman fell into line behind him, garbed in a traditional Fire Nation robes while her long snow white hair was pulled into a braid and her Water Tribe blue eyes stayed on the boy's back. Then came the Imperial firebenders, forming a protective line between their General and Iwane's men, followed by the archers bringing up the rear where they would be of the most use

Iwane met the boy's blue eyes as the gap between them slowly closed, as if to challenge the boy and make him flinch before an older man. Yet his gaze was steady and the intensity of it made all the hairs on Iwane's neck stand up on end. There was something in those azure eyes that unnerved the older man, reminding him of the first time he'd ever been afraid of someone.

"General Matsui," the boy suddenly spoke, now standing no less than a single yard away and well within striking distance, but the calmness of his tone instantly made Iwane dash away such foolish actions...for the moment.

"General…" Iwane tried to fish for a name, since one hadn't been provided to him in the Fire Lord's letter, and was now looking rather foolish for not inquiring on such matters in the week that had passed since then.

"Uzumaki," the young man informed with a slight bow of his head, which Iwane mirrored in his own stiff way, "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Yes, General Uzumaki, I'm afraid Fire Lord Ozai wasn't clear on your reason for being here, aside from helping take the city," Iwane feigned ignorance, hoping that he could somehow maneuver her way into still remaining in command instead of leaving it all to someone less than half his own age.

Naruto simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly before motioning for the young woman just behind him. All attention turned to this exotic beauty, even though the vast majority of the men there would never admit to being attracted to a Water Tribe savage, as she pulled a scroll from the confines of her robes; a scroll marked with the wax insignia of Fire Lord Ozai himself. Iwane's eyes widened just a fraction when Naruto took the scroll, unrolled it, and prepared to speak Ozai's very words out of his own mouth! If it was as he feared then Iwane couldn't allow such words to reach the ears of his men!

"Now now, General Uzumaki, I'm sure business can wait till after we've all relaxed. I've had my cooks prepare a meal for the two of us in my personal tent," that seemed to stop Naruto, for the moment at least, seeing as the blonde simply rolled the scroll back up and handed it back to the woman.

"Very well, lead the way," Naruto motioned gently for Iwane to lead them towards his tent, yet the older man couldn't help but feel he was somehow being maneuvered into a trap he somehow couldn't perceive or even stop.

Iwane led them with Naruto followed, the girl following Naruto, the Imperial Firebenders following the girl, and the legendary archers spreading out to take high positions across the camp yet still in view of the Generals large tent. Upon entering the tent, it was revealed to have a small table already filled with many different kinds of food and two large cushions on either side of it. Ten young women, each dressed in beautiful silk dresses, stood at the ready to serve the two Generals their meal. Yet their gaze never wavered from staring at the ground, not even when the group entered the tent, and none of them moved until the two men sat down. Meanwhile, four of the Imperial guards took up formation around the room while all the others moved to form a perimeter around the tent itself; they kept in view of one another at all times.

"What would you like to drink with your meal, I have an assortment of wines in my collection," Iwane moved to motion for one of the girls, who flinched ever so slightly when he raised his hand.

"Do you have tea?" Naruto asked, halting the General with his question and drawing a curious look.

"Tea?"

"Wine and other alcohol clouds the mind, making it difficult to focus when needed. I prefer tea," the woman that accompanied Naruto moved over to one of the serving girls while he spoke, whispering something into her ear that got a small yet diligent nod in return; the girl left not moments later.

"I...see," confusion marred Iwane's well groomed face, confused as to why one of his servants was ordered out of the room but not curious enough to ask, "I'm sure I can find you favored blend in the camp. Though it may take a while."

"It's alright, we should eat now while the food is still warm," a small smile formed on Naruto's lips when he saw something he wanted on the table, yet instead of moving to get it or commanding one of the servants, the same strange girl got it for him without even so much as a hint of knowing to do so.

"Yes, of course, although," Iwane began, feigning nervousness before seemingly changing his mind, "Never mind, I did say we would relax before beginning our business."

If he could just get his hands on that scroll then he could burn it and be done with this mess! His family was rich enough to cover up this mess and a boy so young shouldn't be that hard to deal with. All he needed was that damn scroll!

"You wish to see the scroll, to confirm that I am indeed the one our Fire Lord sent and not some spy from the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe," Naruto stated more than questioned, getting a small nod of agreement from the older man as his servant came back holding what appeared to be a steaming cup of tea!

"Yes, we've had a numerous amount of infiltrators lately and I would look rather foolish in handing over control of my men to a possibly spy. Forgive me, but those uniforms could have been stolen and your features aren't really that of a Fire Nation citizen," Iwane could go along with the boy's suggestion, the arrogance of youth often made one think they were always right and he could use that!

"I see no problem with that, but first, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Iwane watched Naruto's every action, even when he slowly took a cube of meat between his chopstick, moved it towards his mouth, and closed his eyes as he ate it whole while chewing slowly to savor the taste.

"Do you understand the one thing all warriors, such as you and I for instance, must understand?" Naruto continued to eat with his eyes closed, even picking up the steaming cup of tea and taking a sip without looking.

"I'm afraid you've entered into a very broad area. A warrior must understand many things," Iwame glanced at Naruto's apparent servent as she slowly, in his mind, began approaching him with the scroll he so desperately desired.

"That is very true, but I'm referring to something all warriors, no matter their rank or skill, must know with absolution," Naruto continued, the many lamps, torches, and candles lining the tent gained a speck of pure white for just a moment.

"Then I'd say they need to know how to defeat their enemy," the older man wasn't even paying attention at this point, too focused on the scroll that was now being handed to him while his hands shook like a child's.

"Oh yes, all warriors understand the need to face and defeat the enemy, even when both aspects of the task can be challenging. Both can require thought, insight, and planning. Yet a warrior may sometimes forget that even the task of identifying the enemy can be difficult," Iwane never even noticed Naruto's eyes open, for he was too busy opening the scroll, "And the cost of that failure, can lead to catastrophe."

Everyone watched as Iwane's eyes widened in horror, the scroll slipping out of his hands and clattering on the wood floor. In his hands was a simple red ribbon with someone's name sewn into it, yet it was on the scroll that the word "Family" was written as clear as day. The ribbon, a gift he had given to his wife and later his daughter, now hung loosely in his hands with a note tied to it asking him to hurry home.

"So then tell me something, General Matsui, do you know who your enemy is? Are you aware of the power he possesses and what lengths he will go do to insure you do as instructed, despite your pride and ego?" Naruto inquired as if he had no idea what was going on, taking another sip of his tea without breaking eye contact with Iwane, "It seems you're looking rather unwell. Perhaps the stress of leading the northern campaign has finally taken its toll on you and you should return home. I hear that being around one's loved ones is great for rejuvenating the spirit and helps put everything in perspective.

"Will they be safe...from my enemy?" Iwane felt a bit of sweat trickle down the side of his face.

"As long as you do as instructed, then he is not your enemy. My own teacher once told me to be careful, for pride comes before the fall," Naruto was now smirking as to older man got to his feet and made towards the tent entrance, only pausing for a brief moment upon hearing Naruto's next words, "You're daughter is a lovely painter, I look forward to seeing what else she can create with some more experience."

"Thank you, General Uzumaki."

"No, thank you, _Lieutenant _General Matsui," and like that the older man was gone, leaving just Naruto, the woman, his guards, and the former General's five personal servants.

Naruto took a few more bites from the assembled food before glancing over at the five your women, each of whom looked like lambs that had lost their shepherd. Judging by their eye color and physical attributes, Naruto could assume that these three were some of the unlucky women captured by the former General and his men. They'd no doubt been broken emotionally, if not physically, and resigned themselves to their new position in life. Suddenly Naruto got up from his position, which seemed to quickly become occupied by his own apparent servant, and approached the five girls.

Standing in front of the youngest looking one of the five, which took him a moment to figure out since they all looked rather young, Naruto reached out and tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes, "He hurt you, didn't he?"

The young servant opened her mouth, as if to speak, but closed it a moment later and lowered her eyes as far as she was able to. That is until Naruto suddenly took her hand, being far more gentle than anyone had been to her in a long time, and led her over to the table; even motioning her to take Iwane's former seat. The other four girls nervously glanced between one another, remembering the few times Fire Nation soldiers pretended to be kind before turning cruel in the blink of an eye.

"Remain inside this tent and I can assure you that you will be safe. There isn't much I can do about your service to the Fire Nation, not at this time, but I can guarantee your safety so long as you remain here," Naruto turned to face his own servant, "Shui, watch over them."

"Yes, master," Shui spoke up for the first time, a small smile on her face while the four guards in the room noticeably relaxed.

"We won't be staying here long. I plan on finishing this farce within the week."

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and, as always, I'm open to new ideas.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 2: The Art of War Part Two**

"_Be extremely subtle even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate._

_Sun Tzu_

* * *

The transition from their previous General to their new one had been rough for many of the higher ranking officers among the northern campaign, especially those that had found a great deal of freedom under Iwane Matsui. It took almost two entire days to reign in some of the more vocal soldiers, with some even going so far as to threaten to resign from their posts if their demands were not met, yet in truth they had no idea who they were actually dealing with. No one really knows what Naruto said to each officer that decided to try and strong arm him into meeting their demands, only that on the third day they were passing out new orders to their own men. Any soldier caught committing certain crimes would have a pre established punishment forced upon them, ranging from dishonorable discharge, castration, and even death. It was on the third day that Naruto called for all existing maps on the local area, finding every path in and out of the mountains, and ordered scouts to be deployed into the mountain range itself further to the east.

Currently he was looking over a map taken from a captured Earth Kingdom officer early on in Iwane's campaign in the area, which showed details that were not present on any of the Fire Nation's maps. After ordering scouts to one such area, making sure they understood to go at least five miles east before entering the range and circling back, Naruto was made aware of a small farming village located just a few miles from the Earth Kingdom city itself. He had been wondering how the city was getting its food after the Fire Nation cut off all known roads south of the city, which was now made very clear and presented a prime opportunity to begin his grand strategy; in which he only had four more days.

"Master, all of the senior staff are waiting outside, as per your instructions," Shui said softly, having gone so far as to enter the General's tent, walk around the former diner table that was now covered in maps and other important documents, knelt down beside him, and whispered into his ear.

"Thank you," Naruto acknowledged her with a small nod, his hand cupping his chin in thought as he continued to scan over the scattered documents with focused azure eyes, "Please show them in and, if you would be so kind, prepare tea for everyone."

"Yes, Master," Shui said, giving a small nod before moving to complete her new task; the Imperial Firebenders going stiff as if they were expecting some kind of danger now of all times.

Naruto continued to give the appearance of someone occupied with his work, focused to the point that it appeared as if he didn't even notice his new guests enter his tent. Iwane's two Lieutenant Generals, with both retaining their rank since the demoted General returned to the homeland, the six Major Generals that served beneath them, and finally seven of the fifteen Brigadier Generals still in camp while the others oversaw operations in other nearby regions.

The two Lieutenant Generals varied in age and clearly experience, with the first being clearly older and held himself with experience while the second was young and had a noticeable twitch when he saw he was with other more seasoned officers. The six Major Generals and seven Brigadier Generals held no really physical distinction that would set them apart from a Fire Nation citizen, not to mention their military records showed that at least half of them were given their position based on political or familial ties. It was also of little surprise when some of the older officers still held Naruto with suspicious eyes, hiding the small hint of fear that really put them on edge, and more than half of them shivered when Naruto finally _did_ raise his gaze to meet theirs.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly, we have much to go over before our victory four days from now. Please, take a seat," Naruto motioned to the cushions that surrounded the table, to which only the elder Lieutenant General moved to take the offered seat without a moment's hesitation; a fact noticed by more than a few of them.

"Sir, with all do respect, Lieutenant General Iwane had been fighting here for quite some time with little to no success in taking the city. What makes you believe you could have better luck given you lack of...proper field experience?" asked one of the Major Generals, trying to sound as respectful as Naruto's rank demanded he'd be while also getting his question across as accurately as possible.

"Because the former General seeks to gain something that I, nor any of you, ever should at the cost of a victory for our Fire Lord and our country itself," Naruto spoke calmly, his never blinking gaze locked onto the one that had just spoken up while the others glanced around in confusion.

"He means personal glory and wealth," the eldest of the officers spoke up, stroking his long white beard in thought.

"Lieutenant General Yamashita is correct. Your former General was too focused on improving his own position, and by extension that of his family, higher within the Fire Nation hierarchy at the expense of the war effort itself. He shifted funds from his own troops to insure his family lived a wealthy lifestyle, of which he will now have to sustain under his own means, and allowed his soldiers to torment those that would soon call us kin the moment we win this war," Naruto continued as Shui entered the tent once more, a tray in his hands with enough cups for everyone and two separate tea pots.

Naruto observed how almost everyone's attention shifted to Shui the moment that she entered the tent, with more than a few of them attempting to take a peek down her robes when she bent down to place a cup in front of them. It was only Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita that didn't break his focus away from the young General, having instead gained a mirthful smile. If a high ranking officer could become distracted so easily by a pretty woman, it did not bode well for the future of the military. It would seem this new young General had a few tricks up his sleeves.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan on breaking their defense? We've tried everything from mass frontal assaults to sending in assassins, but all such attempts have ended in failure," said the younger Lieutenant General, who if Naruto wasn't mistaken was named Lee Horoshi and was originally from a small fishing village before being drafted into the military.

"Yes, I am well aware of all previous attempts made by my predecessor, which is why I now have a clear picture as to who my opponent is and how to defeat him," Naruto said as Shui gave him his own cup before moving to sit down on a cushion just a bit behind him, "Allow me to explain. All previous frontal assaults, even when operated by our most advanced tank crews and infantrymen, failed for the simple reason of having the very battlefield turned against them. Pits formed by earthbenders would implode when our tanks drove over them and I don't know of any man that could stand his ground against boulders being thrown at him from all angles."

"What about our assassins, surely they would have had better luck," pointed out one of the Brigadier Generals, who was still sending subtle glances past Naruto and towards the white haired beauty at his side.

"Then you have clearly underestimated our enemy and their ability to combat us," it felt like the temperature dropped a few degrees between the two men, "They have survived your assassins for the very reason we have survived theirs; because it is expected that they would be used. In order to defeat an enemy such as General Yue Fei, you must think outside of traditional Fire Nation tactics. Those of the Earth Kingdom are well known for standing strong together, they have a strong attachment to close family and friends, and it is because of these traits that we will attain victory. By the end of the fourth day, General Yue Fei will personally escort our army within the walls of his city."

"You wish to use civilians as hostages to force their surrender," LTG Yamashita nodded his head in understanding, having read reports on similar tactics working for other Generals across the war, "But how will you gain those hostages without entering the city? We could use villagers from other areas, but they wouldn't have as strong an effect."

"You are correct, using civilians from the surrounding villages wouldn't be the same as using those directly under Yue's protection. Which is why, over the next three days, we will be engaging in mock battles to confirm a theory I already have. One third of our army will attack each day, although insure they understand that their lives are not to be put in any more danger than is necessary, while on the fourth day our entire force will enter the city. While this is going on, I will be sending scouts to a local village hidden deep within the mountains and well behind the city itself. It is my belief that the civilians are escorted to this village while the battles are being waged, to both protect them and allow the Earth Kingdom soldiers to relax knowing their loved ones are not in danger. If this occurs the same for each of the three attacks, then we will have our hostages."

There was a fair bit of whispering between the high ranking officers after Naruto laid bare the foundations of his plan for victory, with many of them still thinking that a full frontal assault would be better or that they could use this village to sneak into the city itself. Naruto knew this because he himself had considered it during his trip from the Fire Nation, but had quickly shot it down because it simply risked too many lives. Frontal assaults had proved to be ineffective in this situation and tunnels could be collapsed easily by earthbenders. Naruto's original plan was to simply starve the enemy out, but Fire Lord Ozai wanted this dealt with before much grander plans could be put into action. Plans that he needed Naruto for.

* * *

As the high ranking officers filed out of Naruto's tent, the young General himself couldn't help but finally rest his head in his hands and let out a deep sigh of relief. These formal meetings, especially when he had to explain the steps of his plans to someone else, was a real drain on him mentally. It was the one thing Iroh was never able to get across to him when he was still learning under the man, but supposedly it was a skill that one learned over several years of being in command of others. Naruto relaxed even more when he felt a smooth pair of hands slip onto his shoulders and massage the tension away, eventually ending in Naruto leaning back against Shui as she carefully refilled his cup.

"These men, you do not like them," Shui whispered softly, smiling when her master leaned more into her.

"Iroh was right, I'm having trouble adjusting to the realities of command. It is one thing going over military strategy and simulations with only one other person, but something else entirely to command an actual army. Some of them, more than half I believe, are going to resist me along the way. I'll need people here I can trust," Naruto said, thinking over the entire meeting for anyone he could trust in such a short amount of time.

"The older man, the one that didn't look at me?" Shui suggested as her hands slipped from Naruto's shoulders to the folds of his uniform, sliding in to touch her bare muscles.

"Lieutenant General Yamashita, his record is spotless aside from a single incident that prevented him from being promoted to a General himself. He refused an order that would have gotten many of his own men killed, but at the same time allowed Earth Kingdom soldiers to take back several miles of land that were not easily won."

"He sounds like a good man," Shui had been around enough bad ones to know, but that was all in the past now and her master needed help relaxing.

"We'll see how the next few days progress, I'm in no real rush at the moment."

* * *

Naruto stood overlooking the mock battle going on before his very eyes, watching how neither side really tried to take the advantage. The earthbenders were clearly ordered to simply hold the line against Naruto's troops, which in the end saved lives on both sides and played into the blonde's plans rather well. Meanwhile, Naruto was more than pleased to see those under his command actually listening to his orders by not committing themselves fully to a battle that served only to test a theory.

"You summoned me, General Uzumaki," Lieutenant General Yamashita said, bowing slightly before Naruto motioned for the elderly man to join him at his side; the side not currently occupied by Shui.

"I did indeed. During the time it took me to travel here, I was given all the files on every high ranking soldier that I would be directly commanding in this campaign. Most of it was what I expected, or was told to expect at any rate, but a few of them stood out to me. One of those was yours, Lieutenant General," Naruto said without ever breaking his gaze away from the bouts of fire being shot across the battlefield or the boulders being sent back in retaliation.

"I see, so my past actions follow me even now," Yamashita closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh, having thought that he'd worked hard enough by now to be trusted once again, "A mistake that, even after all these years, I do not regret."

"Good," Yamashita's gaze snapped up to look at his young General, surprise marred his face at the brazen praise, while Naruto just continued to look on before continuing, "Sacrificing lives to further one's own personal goals is a crime akin to treason in my eyes. That you were willing to disobey orders, even under threat of death, to save the men under your command shows me your good character. I'm new to war, I'm new to commanding real men, and I need those I trust at my side until I gain enough experience. Even then, I would be wise to keep one such as yourself at my side."

"T-Thank you sir!" Yamashita struggled to compose himself, only doing so thanks to his near lifetime of military service, "If I can be of any assistance, I would gladly serve."

"You can start by telling me what you observe of our enemy's tactics," Naruto ordered.

Yamashita took a few steps forward and narrowed his gaze, taking in the stalemated chaos that raged on between the Fire Nation camp and the Earth Kingdom city. The trenches dug on both sides were filled with so many men that it looked like rows of red on one side and green on the other. It was obvious that the ones created by the Earth Kingdom soldiers were more durable and stretched out deeper into the battlefield, for obvious reasons, but the near constant bombardment from the hill mounted artillery stalled any real advance. This wasn't how previous battles had been fought, it was too restrained.

"General Yue Fei has never been this restrained before; it's almost as if he's testing the waters, so to speak. He's always committed himself to holding a certain perimeter around the city, a perimeter we are well within reach of, and yet none of our trenches have collapsed. Neither has any of their ambush teams breached our lines from underground," Naruto nodded in agreement with the older man, having noticed much the same thing when compared with past reports.

"It seems our enemy has learned in my predecessor's departure and my own arrival. Meaning that at best we have spies watching us from the shadows and infiltrating our camp…" Naruto trailed off, his gaze traveling to meet Yamashita's.

"Or we have a traitor in our midst that sent him a warning."

"I have a feeling that, by the end of our time here, we will know which is which."

* * *

The second day rose and fell in much the same way as the first; with Naruto himself watching over the battle down below and only providing input when it was required of him. It was also the day that Naruto finally got a good look at General Yue Fei, who decided to personally join the battle in an attempt to draw the Fire Nation soldiers into a trap with himself as the bait. Unfortunately one group decided to take the bait and were thus buried alive while all Naruto could do was shake his head.

Night had long since fallen and Naruto retired to his command tent to go over the day's reports, which included those of his scouts and other soldiers he had on different assignments. Shui, on the other hand, lounged on a rather large pile of pillows with a bowl of fresh grapes sitting on her lap. Naruto had been at it for hours, going over report after report without taking a single break to even rest his eyes and it was beginning to show. That is until his gaze was suddenly torn away by one of the female servants entering the tent with a fresh pot of tea. She was young and attractive, like all the slaves the former General took for himself, but with the noticeable addition of a long scar stretching over her milky left eye.

Apparently one day Iwane went to far and scared the poor girl with his unwanted advances, which earned him a pair of nails to the face, and in return he took a heated blade to her face in front of everyone. The girl was never the same after that, acting like little more than a puppet doing as ordered when ordered, and that hasn't changed just because Naruto was now in command.

"What's your name?" Naruto's voice cut through the tent, his attention now fully on the young woman refilling his tea cup.

"Shi Jianqiao, Master," her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in quite some time, while her eyes remained firmly planted on the ground.

"Shi Jianqiao, a beautiful name, but one I would have never thought to belong to my would-be _assassin_," Naruto's words were the catalyst for what happened next.

Shi's single sight giving eye widened dramatically before she pulled a dagger free from the confines of her robes, raising it up before bringing it down on Naruto's neck. She knew this mission would now end in her death, there was no possible way she could make it out alive, so the only option left to her was to finish her weapon. Her original plan to slowly poison Naruto over the next few days was now useless and left only the venom laced dagger now slicing through the air towards the General's exposed neck. Yet Naruto made no move to stop her.

The blade froze just inches from Naruto's neck, the veins in Shi's arm bulged as her own blood was turned against her, and sitting with her arm outstretched was a furious Shui. Jerking her hand in several quick movements, Shui watched as Shi's arm shot above her head before twisting down at an awkward angle behind her back. The assassin's knees gave out seconds later, followed by her entire upper body slamming down to the ground while leaving her butt up in the air.

"I suppose you can see why I don't need to keep any guards in my tent despite being so close to the enemy and their assassins," Naruto spoke calmly as he picked up Shi's fallen knife and got to his feet, which was followed by Shui walking up behind him with her arm still outstretched, "For as you can no doubt tell, almost no assassin can reach me with Shui by my side."

"Just...kill me," Shi growled as best she could, her face planted firmly in the soft rug that covered the floor of Naruto's tent, while glaring up at the General with her one good eye.

"Shui, let her sit up," Naruto ordered, which was followed by Shi's body contorting in the most disturbing of ways as her very blood forced her into a proper kneeling position, "Thank you."

Just seconds later four Imperial Firebenders marched into the tent after having heard the commotion from outside, only to stop dead with Naruto raised his hand in their direction. Without even a vocal command, the firebenders turned around and walked right back out the way they came. Meanwhile Shi's mind raced with the thought of what was going to be done to her now, especially when her eye had been taken for far less than an assassination attempt. She'd seen first hand how some prisoners were burned alive in the middle of their own villages, all the while the soldiers watching laughed as they raided those same villages. The things she herself had been forced to endure; her mind would break if she was forced to go through it all again.

"I think it's time we had a little chat."

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and, as always, I'm open to new ideas.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3: The Art of War Final**

"_A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague."_

_Marcus Tullius Cicero_

* * *

Naruto watched the warm morning sun rise above the hills to the east, sitting outside the camp on a large boulder that had no doubt been there for a hundred years, still dressed in his sleeping robes and with a hot pot of green tea resting on a small white flame in front of him. The hours before a battle were always quiet for Naruto, a time for him to let the world's troubles slip from his mind and for him to find his focus one more. Off in the distance he could hear his men begin to prepare in their own way, with officers shouting at those they commanded while their own superiors ordered them around. Yet here Naruto still sat, his breath show and steady while the ever shining shun continued to slowly rise higher and higher into the air.

Calmly Naruto reached out and gripped the tea pot, the white fire traveling with it, before pouring the warm water into a cup that already had ground up tea leaves and herbs in it. The water darkened ever so slightly once Naruto was finished pouring, but it was only after he stirred it with a small wooden stick that it became properly mixed and ready to drink. Iroh had taught him many things during their time together, but nothing more so than how to prepare a good cup of tea. It wasn't just for the natural herbs that helped keep the body strong, or even the end result of simple enjoyment, but for the relaxation it brought by simply going through the precise motions over and over again.

Clapping his hands together, Naruto closed his eyes and began to pray as he once did in the temple so long ago, "Agni, chief God, giver of fire and wealth. Salutations and salutations, to the holy flame of the lamp, which bestows on me all that is good, health as well as wealth, and destroys all my enemies. Give me the wisdom to protect those I command, give me the strength to fight for them as they fight for me, and give me the resolve to do what must be done."

With his prayer now complete and his tea naturally blended, Naruto reached down and took a careful sip so as to not burn his tongue. Warmth filled his body from his stomach outwards and the General let out a more than content sigh; one of these days he'd surpass even Iroh's skill at making the perfect cup. It was rather odd to others, or so Naruto had been told, that he didn't possess the eagerness that most young people did and instead took joy in the simple things in life.

One more hour passed before Naruto decided to return to his tent and continue to prepare for the day, which got him odd looks as he casually strolled through the busy camp in just his sleeping robes and a teapot hanging loosely from his fingers. Once he entered, giving a brief nod to the two Imperial Firebenders standing guard, Naruto found his meal waiting for him and Shui standing beside his armor stand with her hands clasped in front of her. With practiced ease, Naruto knelt down at his table and calmly began to eat his meal with no rush at all.

Once his meal was completely finished, down to the last grain of rice, Naruto rose from his kneeling position and approached the patiently waiting Shui. Their eyes locked for only a brief moment, a silent conversation taking place in just a few seconds, before Shui reached out and began undoing the bindings of his sleeping attire. Now standing as bare as the day he'd been born, one could see many different scars littering Naruto's arms and torso; many of which looked to be caused by blades or even arrows of many different kinds. Shui then went through the long process of dressing her master in his white armor, beginning with an under layer of robes and ending with attaching his breastplate. Once finished, with his sword firmly strapped to his side, Naruto reached out and gently stroked his servant's cheek with more affection than anyone had ever seen him give in public.

"Thank you for standing by my side all this time," Naruto said softly as Shui reached up and coverent Naruto's hand with her own, a small smile on her face but one that was filled with worry and concern.

"You will return unharmed," Shui began, blue eyes gazing deeply into one another, "I'll have your tea prepared and wait for you."

"_Be safe"_ is what she wanted to say, "_Don't leave"_ is what her heart demanded she cry out before he could even so much as exit the tent, "_I adore you."_ were the words that could not be spoken when there were so many that could be listening in. It was the first time Naruto would ever be put in any danger during the war, where his entire life of training would be put to the test and where his plans would either bare fruit or burn away.

"Thank you, Shui," Naruto gave in, just this once, and leaned down to gently press his lips against Shui's; she tasted of strawberries.

Naruto was gone moments later, his face set into a calm and collected mask as he exited his tent and found the whole of his fighty force already in formation with Lieutenant General Yamashita and the others waiting for him. It should be noted that none of the higher ranking members were in proper combat armor, instead wearing the set specifically for basic leadership; meaning they wouldn't fight unless the battle came to them.

"General Uzumaki," Yamashita and his young counterpart greeted at the same time, given the proper bow of respect that one gives a superior officer, and was quickly followed by the rest of the senior staff.

"Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Lieutenant General Lee Horoshi," Naruto greeted back with a nod, as demanding of his position of ranking officer, "Is everything prepared as I've requested?"

Lee seemed hesitant, more than likely thinking it was a bad idea but was bound to his orders regardless, "Yes sir, down to the smallest detail."

"Good, then let's end this once and for all."

* * *

The sight of the Fire Nation army marching out onto the field of battle, almost like a parade, was quite a sight to behold from the gates of Durjayan where General Yue Fei stood with his six personal guards. His informant within the ranks of the enemy army had dutifully informed him of this new General's plan to take hostage the villages he protects, which was why he'd ordered all villagers to be brought within the city and the tunnels collapsed. It had been a close call, they only received the information that morning, and more than a few of the villagers had to be forced to leave their homes. Still, the spirits appeared to be on their side once again, but this new general was going to pose a problem if not dealt with right away. Yue knew that they had to break the Fire Nation..._today!_

"General Fei, sir!" one of Yue's oldest and most loyal soldiers spoke up, having come to report to his commanding officer, "The men report the tunnels have been dug under the field. As per your orders, a quarter of the earthbenders have been deployed while the rest await further orders with the standing army."

"Good," Yue mumbled, stroking his facial hair while his gaze never broke away from the approaching army, "I'll lead the men myself. It's time to crush this Fire Nation dog."

And so the Earth Kingdom General moved over to a pair of twin war hammers, his weapon of choice to compliment his earthbending, and was followed down to the main gate by his guards. It wasn't very often that Yue Fei entered the battlefield, instead trusting in his men to see each battle to victory, but every time he did fight he won. In this instance, he had no room for error. With but a simple gesture, the gates to the city opened and the two opposing armies were now destined to face.

* * *

LTG. Yamashita watched from his position, next to the several catapults loaded with massive boulders covered in oil, as his commanding officer marched at the head of the army towards what would no doubt be a bloody battle. A battle that would no doubt be a massacre, but not for the reason General Yue Fei no doubt believed. A small smile stretched across Tomoyuki's aged face; it was all thanks to the General that they found out who the spy in their ranks was and changed the plan without alerting him in the slightest. He didn't know how someone so young managed to break an assassin so fast, to be quite honest he didn't really _want_ to know, but it was impressive nonetheless.

"Hm, so they decided to charge out and meet the General head on," Tomoyuki spoke aloud upon noticing the gates to the city open and quite a few Earth Kingdom soldiers come marching out, but the sight of General Yue Fei was a bit surprising.

"Sir?" the artillery commander questioned, itching to give the signal.

"We wait for General Uzumaki's signal," Tomoyuki grunted, taking notice as to how the back ranks of the Fire Nation soldiers shifted behind the first few rows of men; the longbowmen taking position near the rear while the komodo rhinos moved towards either side of them.

Sure enough, the enemy began their charge while the General commanded everyone to stop and take formation. Like a well oiled machine, the heavy shield spearmen formed an impenetrable wall of death between the charging forces and their more vulnerable comrades. At the same time, the cavalry units charged out to the right and left of the main battle, with their only objective being to incircle the enemy once the two armies collided. Tomoyuki had to applaud the soldiers down below for their unwavering dedication and trust in the General's plan, even if almost all of them had no idea what that plan truly was.

"Hm, it would appear the signal has been given," Tomoyuki pointed out, noticing the way the once dull orange torch flame in front of him suddenly turned the purest of white, "Ignite the oil and launch. Let us see if General Uzumaki really can take the city by the end of the day."

* * *

Naruto stood like a statue at the very front of his army, at least ten feet in front of the wall of spears his men formed, and watched the charging enemy with an almost passive gaze. He wasn't afraid, even though he knew he should be, but he had faith that his plan would work. Which he would find out soon enough as the sight of massive flaming boulders greeted him from behind, their arc indicating that they would land just where he thought they would.

It saddened him that so many would have to die because of his plans.

Azure eyes narrowed when the boulders slammed into the ground and widened slightly in satisfaction when said ground suddenly caved in from the impact. It was the same trick General Yue Fei had used against his predecessor; having men tunnel under the battlefield and come charging up within the enemy ranks. Another volley of flaming death came down in between the two armies, both nearby obscure from one another by thick black smoke and the screams of those men still alive. The smart play for the Earth Kingdom would be to fall back within their walled city and make the Fire Nation come to them, but it would seem the enemy General wanted to finish the battle now.

General Yue Fei and his men came running through the smoke and flames like a horde of angry demons, most of their minds lost to battle rage to stop their charge and make a proper formation, and it wasn't until the majority of them were through the flames that Naruto himself acted. Just as he'd done with every flame in his presence, from the Fire Lord himself to the simple candles he used in the middle of the night, the orange symbol of consumption turned pure white.

He could hear the soldiers whispering behind him, their minds not understanding how fire could turn _white_, but then they remembered their General. All their eyes locked onto him and each man came to the same conclusion when they saw him standing there with his arm outstretched. Divine fire, _white fire_, said to be a gift from Agni himself to those deemed worthy of it. Somewhere among the hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers, a young woman and a young man respectively, fanatics had just been born.

"Archers, loose!" Naruto's shout covered the distance between the front ranks and the back, even over the screams of men being burned alive and Earth Kingdom soldiers charging.

Death rained from the sky in the form of metal tipped wood, killing those that either couldn't bring their shields up in time or were unlucky enough to not have a shield in the first place. Naruto wanted to look away, by the gods he wanted to, but he would not insult his enemy in such a cowardly way. If they needed to die, if they absolutely _needed_ to, he would force himself to watch their final moments.

_WOOSH!_

A rock about the size of Naruto's head came within a hair's breadth of hitting him, but still Naruto didn't even so much as flinch. General Yue Fei had just attacked him and so Naruto would return that gesture in kind. Yet it wouldn't be by the allconsuming white flames, but by the sword slowly being drawn from Naruto's side!

Another rock came at him and Naruto responded with a swing of his sword! The metal should have been dented beyond repair the very moment it made contact, but it was the rock that gave way first. It left quite the sight to behold, with Naruto standing there, almost like he was striking a pose with the way he stopped at the end of his swing. The blade of his sword, so beautifully crafted, was coated by divine flames without melting the blade itself.

Artillery shook the ground, Naruto could hear the sound of his cavalry colding with the enemy flanks, and so the massacre was about to officially begin. Naruto could see the whites of Yue's eyes, the spit flying from his mouth as he let out a warcry, and for that one glorious moment everything froze. It was like a painting, a beautifully horrific painting that the world would never bare witness to again.

A moment later there would be only blood.

It was only through a lifetime of military service, serving on the front lines with his own men, that gave Yue the skill and forethought to move out of the way of Naruto's downward strike instead of trying to block it. It was also at that exact moment that the charging Earth Kingdom forces slammed head first into an impenetrable wall of Fire Nation shields and spears. Some of them were lucky enough to duck out of the way or slip between the instruments of death, but for those that were unlucky a painful death quickly embraced them. There was no way for Naruto to tell the difference between the screams of dying men and all the other cries, not when he also had to focus on battling someone more than twice his age and three times his military experience.

Three hammer blows came at him in rapid succession, each one aimed to cave his skull in with a single mighty blow, but each one missed thanks to some impressive physical skills. Naruto returned the attack in kind, his blade singing through the air with a trail of white fire briefly left in its wake, and nearly slit Yue's throat if the older man hadn't backpettled away out of sheer survival instinct. Instead Naruto managed to ruin his beard.

"You aren't half bad, for someone so young, but in battle, experience trumps youth!" Yue shouted, stomping his foot on the ground and lifting an even larger rock into the air before slamming his hammer into it and sending it right at Naruto.

Naruto moved out of the way at the last minute, allowing the small boulder to slam into the backs of Yue's own men that were still trying to get through the Fire Nation shield wall. The General didn't even seem fazed by what he just did to his own men and instead charged back in once more, swinging his hammers far faster than a man his age should have been able to do. Yet, like with all great battles between two giants, this fight was ended in a single instant.

Spinning low to avoid having his head taken off, rolling to get behind the Earth Kingdom General, Naruto thrust his blade forward with both hands! Yue was in the midst of spinning around himself, his arm raised high to bring down a devastating strike, when the feeling of cold metal greeted his heart like an old friend. Yue half expected to feel the burning sensation of Naruto's white flames, the pain and agony that came with it would have given him the energy for one final blow, but when he looked down he saw the flames had vanished.

"You don't deserve to suffer," was all Naruto said to the already dead old General, even if the man's brain hadn't quite caught up with that little fact yet, before ripping his blade free in a spray of blood.

Naruto didn't have time to think about the life he'd just taken, not when the enemy around him noticed their General lying dead at his feet and turned on him. He prepared himself, eyes already locked onto the next man meant to be cut down this day, as his white flames ignited around his blade once more and burned away the blood.

Suddenly movement surged from around Naruto, the familiar sight of black and red armor greeted him as the shield wall extended forwards to protect him from those that would see him dead. Their General ensured they would win this day, Yue Fei was dead and the threat he posed along with him, so now it was their turn! This battle would be won! The city would be taken!

In the end, the massacre lasted for maybe an hour before the enemy finally succumbed.

They would tell stories, stories of the white flame dancing on the ashes of his enemies!

* * *

Most armies, after fighting a battle of any kind, would often retreat back to their camp to rest and recuperate instead of moving right to trying to break down a city's gates. It would also take time to set up a battering ram with the proper amount of protection or move the siege equipment within range. No matter which way you cut it, at the end of the day, taking a city isn't something you can just do by walking up to the front gates and strolling in like you own the place. Not to mention soldiers of the Earth Kingdom are particularly stubborn.

So when the battle was over and the wounded were taken back to camp, Naruto ordered his men to retake formation. They were approaching the city gates, well within range of their archers by now, and yet no action had been taken against them in the slightest. Not only that, but soon enough the gates themselves began to rise up. A massive slab of stone, the kind only a group of earthbenders could lift or heavy artillery could smash through, was now no longer in their path.

Waiting for them on the other side of the archway was none other than one of Naruto's Yuyan archers, blood splattered over his uniform and at least half of his arrows missing. Despite it all, Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"The soldiers that were manning the walls?" Naruto asked as his archer knelt before him.

"Killed or detained, but most chose death."

"The citizens?"

"Unaware."

"Very good. Take to the rooftops of the city and help ease the transition. Without General Yue Fei here to help keep things civil, there may be a few unfortunate deaths. Also, any soldier your men see stealing, raping, or senselessly killing civilians is to be brought to me once we have full control of the city," to the Yuyan archers under Naruto's command, his words might as well have come from the Fire Lord himself; they would obey without question.

"Sir!" and like that the archer moved to inform the others.

Naruto didn't even wait, "Take the city."

It was over by the end of the day, with minimal loss of life given how unprepared the former Earth Kingdom citizens were to suddenly being dragged out of their homes by Fire Nation soldiers. The leader of the Yuyan archers reported that no less than twenty men had to be put down, with thirteen for attempted rape, five for ignoring three different warnings about stealing, and two that lost their temped and struck down panicing civilians. It was a much lower number than Naruto expected, but much higher than he'd hoped for.

Now it was time for adjustment. The new Fire Nation citizens would need to grow accustomed to the new laws, which would take time, and resistances would need to be dealt with before chaos could descend upon them once more. Men that were once charged with attacking the city were now ordered to patrol its streets and keep the peace. Citizens were kept in their houses for the majority of the day, except for those that proved to be of use or had trades Naruto deemed harmless enough to continue. Sure the city had been fully taken in a week, but it took no less than six months for any true danger to pass.

Which is why, after those six months, it was time for Naruto two wrap up some loose ends before returning to the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Ozai requested his presence and one did not disobey such a man.

"Master, your tea and evening meal," Shui spoke up as she walked into the former General Yue Fei's office, having been taken over by Naruto since it had one of the best views of the city and thus he could see almost any danger, with another familiar slave following behind her carrying a tray of food.

"Thank you Shui, Shi, you may set them down on the table," Naruto ordered as he read over some classified Earth Kingdom documents that had been in the late General's possession and was thus now in his.

Shi followed Shui closely, like a shadow, and just briefly glanced at Naruto with _both_ of her eyes. The scar on her face, one that Shi thought she'd die with, was now completely gone with no sign of ever being there to begin with. Naruto was aware of her gaze, but ignored it in favor of a rather interesting bit of news that he'd yet to hear from his own nation. It would appear, some time during the last six months or so, that the _Avatar_ had returned.

"Zuko, be safe," Naruto whispered as he finally pried himself away from all this new information, information he'd take back to the Fire Nation at the end of the week, and moved to eat his meal.

Sitting down on the large cushion, Shui took up her traditional position behind him and began rubbing his shoulders to ease their tension. No one had noticed, or rather no one cared enough to look, but the air had changed between the master and servant ever since that battle six months ago.

Shui would often place herself much closer to Naruto when in public, bordering on improper in some cases, and in private she'd always try and be touching him in some way. Naruto, likewise, seemed more at ease when she was around and was more forgiving if someone stepped out of line when they shouldn't have; at least to a point. Shi had noticed it; how could she not when Naruto placed her in Shui's charge? In fact, Shi found herself changing after just six months of being her new master's slave. He wasn't cruel to her, or any of the other girls, and that was starting to make it hard to hate him. Why couldn't he have just killed her that night?

"General Uzumaki," a guard called after politely knocking on the door; Shui did not stop her hands for even a moment.

"Enter!"

The guard stepped in and saluted before speaking, "Lieutenant General Horoshi is here to see you, as requested, sir."

"You may send him in and return to your post, thank you," Naruto took a sip of his tea, closing his eyes to savor the taste, but when his eyes opened they were sharper than blades.

Lieutenant General Lee Horoshi entered a moment later, saluted his superior officer, before taking a seat at the other end of the table after Naruto invited him to with a gesture of his hand. Lee , the youngest of the two Lieutenant Generals under Naruto's command, looked like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.

"Would you care for some wine, LTG. Horoshi?" Naruto offered politely, already motioning Shi to pour the man a cup.

"Ah, yes, thank you sir," Lee thanked, taking the cup and a sip from it without much of a second thought; the wine was good.

"Of Course, good and loyal men should be rewarded for their service," Naruto said offhandedly, his smile kind and compassionate until it suddenly wasn't, "And traitors get to look their General in the eye before they die."

Lee didn't feel a thing, the poison acted too fast, and before he knew it he was already dead. The young man's body collapsed in a matter of seconds, blood flowing from his mouth and onto the hardwood table, and his eyes had rolled up into the back of his head. It was a shame, the young man had such a promising future ahead of himself even if he was the son of two Earth Kingdom workers that had managed to buy their freedom and move to a small village.

"Shui, call one of the Yuyan and have them dispose of the traitor outside the city. A shallow and unmarked grave will do."

"Yes, master."

"Oh, and Shi, I'd like some wine if you would be so kind."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 4: Home**

"_All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."_

_-Sun Tzu. The Art of War_

* * *

Naruto loved his home, he loved his country and its citizens without question, but as surely as these words are true he also knew that corruption ran deep into the heart of the Fire Nation. His time living in the royal palace, learning from the once great General Iroh and the now Fire Lord Ozai, taught him such truths early on in his life. His country, the nation Fire Lord Sozin helped make prosper in his youth, was slowly being torn down by the very war they were waging. The problem itself lay at the feat of Fire Lord Ozai himself, for even as a child Naruto could see the cruelty in the man's eyes and felt the greed of his flames the first day they met. At least with Fire Lord Sozin, the one who started the war, he sought to spread the Fire Nation's higher standard of living across the world and unite everyone under a single banner. He would silence those that stood against him, but not just outright obliterate them like Ozai and his father were famous for doing.

It's why Naruto resolved to do everything in his power to end the war as quickly as possible, even if that ending meant the Earth Kingdom being ruled over by the Fire Nation. This war needed to end and people would suffer for as long as it did, with those of the Fire Nation being no different. Perhaps that's why Naruto felt the need to get back to the capital as quickly as humanly possible. He knew that the sooner he had his new orders then the sooner he would be back out there ending the war.

"Master," Shui announced herself before approaching, watching Naruto as he sat at the front of the Fire Nation battleship with a book of all things, a tray in her hand with a pot of freshly brewed tea and a single empty cup.

Naruto didn't respond with words so much as he simply waved Shui over without taking his eyes off his book, only briefly glancing up when Shui knelt down in front of him and began pouring his cup. Shui's long white hair was in a more intricate braid today, more so than usual at any rate, and her normal robes were now adorned with small white pinstripe flames. Naruto felt his heart beat just a bit faster when Shui leaned forward, her robes shifting to reveal a bit more of her chest, but steeled himself by forcing his gaze back to the words printed before him; the book had now lost his interest.

"Thank you, Shui," Naruto's tone was soft now, more personal, and whispered so that no one else could hear them over the crashing of the ocean against the ship.

The small smile that graced Shui's lips, so far from the empty mask she had to wear around others, was one of the small wonders of the world that only Naruto himself was privy to. Shui was a servant to others, seen as little more than property in the eyes of the Fire Nation, and she could live with that fact of life. It was a burden she would always be willing to bear, for the joy she found in Naruto's presence made it lighter than a feather.

"Of course, master," Shui bowed from her already kneeling position, her forehead almost touching the steel deck of the ship, before standing up to go about her other duties; yet she at least graced Naruto with one more smile.

With a resigned sigh, Naruto closed his book and downed his tea in a single gulp. His mind drifted to the past, of more innocent times, when he first met Shui. While he longed to go back to those days, when he hadn't a care in the world, he remembered Iroh's words about clinging onto the past.

"_Always remember this, my student. It is wise to remember the past, where you come from, but do not allow yourself to live in the past. Recognize that you must always move forward in life; life a river must always flow down and never up,_" to be fair, Naruto was still rather young at the time and had no idea what in Agni's name the old man was talking about, but now he was starting to.

Shaking his head to clear away such thought, Naruto stood up to look out over the front of the ship and what awaited him was a sight to behold. The royal plaza was a place where mass gatherings could be held for inspiring rallies given by the elites of the Fire Nation, often to the average citizen that lived within the capital and surrounding areas. It also serves the purpose of representing the Fire Nation's power, with the many battlements and numerous weapons that lined the stone structure, while being the first line of defense for the capital. Naruto simply admired it because of its strategic location among the cliffs that make it impossible for an enemy force to avoid without going many miles out of their way.

Yet his ship's destination wasn't the royal plaza itself but the large stone docks located just a quarter mile to the right of it, in which several other warships could be seen unloading and reloading supplies for the war effort. The skull masked Fire Nation soldiers, usually firemenders themselves if they were wearing that specific armor configuration, patrolled the docks in groups of six, to both keep the peace and be a first response unit for any sudden attacks. Lining the watch towers was a smaller ballista than those lining the plaza, able to be operated by a single person instead of two or three at the least, and at least three archers at any one time. Now these archers were nothing like the ones under Naruto's command, not counting that they wore normal Fire Nation light armor when compared to the nonexistent armor worn by his Yuyan Archers, because their training was nowhere near as intense.

"General Uzumaki," the Captain of this ship approached and bowed respectfully, "We should be able to dock in the next few minutes. I've had some of my men gather your belongings and they await you down below."

Turning, Naruto faced the captain and nodded, "Thank you, Captain, I wish you and your men good fortune in any battles yet to come."

The Captain bowed once more before turning to go about the rest of his duties until they could come into port, completely unaware of the ten passengers that had not officially accompanied Naruto back to the capital. With a single hand gesture, one of the shadows on the main control tower shifted before completely falling away and landing in front of Naruto. It was one of his archers, more notably it was their leader, who knelt down on one knee with his head bowed and fist over his heart. His one notable feature was the long scar that extended from the corner of his mouth and stretched up to his right ear.

"Remain hidden until night falls and then meet me at my chambers in the royal palace. I have a feeling we won't be home for long," Naruto ordered without even turning around to look at his archer, while also receiving no response that his orders were understood even though he knew they would be followed to the letter.

Once the ship was docked, Naruto and his two servants were escorted down the ramp by his guard of Imperial Firebenders and towards an elegantly designed palanquin that had been sent to collect him. Naruto climbed into the palanquin with little hesitation, sitting down on the red pillow with his legs crossed and a neutral expression, while Shui and Shi trailed closely behind and the Imperial Firebenders formed a protective barrier around them all. Citizens knew to move out of the way whenever a palanquin came by surrounded by the crimson armored soldiers, but their curious gazes couldn't help but notice the striking young man they were escorting to what appeared to be the royal palace. They'd never seen anyone like him before and naturally whispers began to spread about the young man in white that held the sun atop his head like a crown.

Closer and closer they came to the royal palace, the small army of soldiers protecting it seemed to let them pass with little trouble, and before long the palanquin was being lowered just outside the main entrance. Nobles and servants alike wandered the grounds, going about whatever business they had while paying little attention to the newcomer; Naruto was relieved by their inability to see past their own interests. Shui and Shi greeted Naruto as he stepped back onto solid ground, his legs feeling just a bit stiff from the journey, and fell into step behind him as he approached the massive steel doors.

Words could not describe how gaudy he found the royal palace; it made his eyes hurt just looking at the needlessly fancy architecture. The entrance to the throne room was equally as grand, but maybe he was just biased because he grew up among the Fire Sages. Yet it would appear he really was expected, because the doors to the throne room opened without even the slightest hint of his presence being announced.

It was tradition for the Fire Lord to greet all of his subjects from behind the veil of fire that encircled his throne, projecting an image of all consuming importance and metaphorically separating him from the common man. Ozai used this tradition to great effect during his time as Fire Lord, making those that served him bow down to his will just by exerting control over the fire in front of him and raising its ethnicity whenever he wanted to get his point across. Now, for some strange reason, the fire veiling the throne was put out and the Fire Lord himself stood on the same ground as Naruto; his hands clasped behind his back.

Despite having spent years already sitting on the throne, attending to the never ending politics of the homeland while maintaining the war in the Earth Kingdom, Ozai was still as physically fit as ever and didn't have a single grey hair atop his head.

"My lord," Naruto said, lowering himself to both knees and bowing to the leader of his homeland, his forehead touching the ground as tradition dictated.

"Rise," Ozai commanded, gesturing with his hand for the young General to stand, "I'm pleased with how well you've handled yourself over the last six months, especially in regards to that incompetent General that once commanded _your_ forces. Although, I fear, many loyal to him and his ways will not be as happy as I,"

Ozai's face was held in an expression Naruto had never seen on a man; it could easily be mistaken for satisfaction but with hints of both amusement and viciousness, "My loyalty is to the Fire Nation and the Fire Lord. I strive only to make my nation prosper. The opinions of others, especially those that disrupt that goal, don't mean much to me."

The smile leaves Ozai's face for just the briefest of moments, his eyes scanning Naruto's for some hidden truth, before it returns and the older man motions for Naruto to follow him, "Indeed, I wish all those that served me did so with such single minded desire for our country's benefit. Unfortunately, there are those that only wish to serve themselves above all others. Those that would abandon their loyalty to me and the Fire Nation."

"Has something happened?" Naruto inquired as they moved from the throne room, passing through a hidden exit into one of the adjacent hallways, and towards one of the more deserted sections of the royal palace.

"The Avatar has returned," Ozai said with an edge to his tone, no longer showing any form of amusement, "And has already struck a blow against the Fire Nation."

Now, while it was no surprise to Naruto that the Avatar had returned, he hadn't expected the legendary bending master to have already attacked. If the legends were to be believed then the Avatar was a force of nature in their own right, especially if they were anything like Avatar Roku in skill.

"How many soldiers were lost?"

"It wasn't soldiers that the Avatar killed, but the members of the Fire Sages that resided on Crescent Island. An Admiral by the name of Zhao had been following the Avatar since he entered Fire Nation territory and came upon the destroyed remains of the temple that had once been on the island. His reports also claim that the dormant volcano had been awakened, supposedly by the Avatar, and now the island is uninhabitable," Ozai pretended not to notice the way Naruto's hand clenched into a fist.

"What would you have me do, my lord?" Naruto's voice was calm, _too_ calm, as if a shift had taken place inside his mind that no one could even begin to comprehend.

"It's not what I would have you do," Ozai said with a shake of his head, "It's what I'm offering you the chance to do. My son, the former prince, has spent the last few years searching for the Avatar without any progress and thus we were unprepared for this attack. I'd be willing to give the task to you, to hunt the Avatar and avenge those who helped raise you, if you asked."

"The progress of the war can't be stopped and my soldiers are directionless without a General. I thank you for the opportunity, but the prosperity of the Fire Nation comes before my own need for justice...or vengeance," Naruto bowed deeply, his eyes burning a hole into the ground as all the nearby sources of fire turned an almost blinding white.

Ozai did something no one would have expected, or at least none that knew him on a more personal level. He reached out and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the blonde stand upright and look him right in the eye, a mask of kindness firmly in place to hide the cruel glee he truly felt at the moment. Naruto saw through it right away but chose not to say anything, he was smart enough to know when to talk and when to hold his tongue.

"Some of our other camps have also sent in reports on the Avatar. Reports stating that he is currently traveling to the Northern Water Tribe and will pass into your area within the month. You may do with this information as you wish."

Naruto wasn't a fool, something was out of place.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Also, I'll be holding a meeting tomorrow with a few special individuals concerning our progress in the Earth Kingdom and beyond. I expect you to be there. I'll send one of the servants to collect you when it is time."

* * *

Night had fallen over the capital city of the Fire Nation and Naruto found himself standing out on the balcony extending from his room, dressed in only a loose pair of dark crimson robes and with his hair out of its traditional Fire Nation style. His mind had been plagued with what Ozai told him, about the Avatar destroying a place that had been sacred to the Fire Sages long before they began to follow them. If the reports were accurate then the current Avatar was an Air Nomad, still relatively young even if it did seem improbable, and thus Naruto could understand why he'd seek revenge against the Fire Nation. After all, when he was young, Iroh had shown him the dragon bone catacombs and the secrets buried there by Fire Lord Sozin. Still, to kill old men in such a way was very unusual for an Air Nomad and it almost didn't make sense.

There was movement above Naruto and a figure dropped down from the roof above, followed by nine others, who dropped to one knee and bowed to the General. Shui was standing in the doorway leading out to the balcony, his ever present bodyguard that no one expected to be able to defend him, and only left when she saw it was her master's archers. Any other assassin would have had their own blood turned against them before, at Naruto's will, being forced to watch as said blood was pulled from their eyes, mouth, nose, and even their bouth. It was a painful way to go.

"Find out everything you can about an Admiral Zhao and his last reports concerning Crescent Island. I want no stone left unturned, but don't allow yourselves to be discovered and make sure no one even suspects what your doing," Naruto's orders were absolute to the archers, their leader bowing deep before they all stood up and rushed past their General, jumping off the balcony and vanishing into the night.

He couldn't focus like this, his mind was clouded, his body tense, and he could feel his temper just seconds away from exploding. Naruto wanted to scream and rage, let out a roar of fire that would blow the roof of the palace itself, but at every instance he would fight it back down. It wouldn't serve a purpose, it was too destructive to be put to any good use, and thus he would just have to wait it out.

'Perhaps some sleep would help me?' Naruto thought, closing his eyes and decided that would be for the best, and then turned around to walk back into his room.

Naruto's blue eyes scanned around his room as he reentered it, washing over the cluttered desk filled with reports, the luxurious bed that he should probably use more often, and the various other decorations that showed he held a higher station in life than most people. Standing beside his bed, waiting patiently, was Shui. Naruto's mind went back to their moment on the ship, when his gaze caught something it shouldn't have and yet Shui just smiled at him all the same.

"Master?" Shui's voice knocked him out of his daydream and let him see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, it's just been a long day, don't worry about it," Naruto tried to wave off her concerns, she was too nice to him sometimes, as he laid down upon his bed and rested his arms behind his head; his mind was still swallowed by what Ozai told him...damn.

"I can...help you relax, Master," there was hesitation in her voice, or perhaps it was uncertainty as to what lines she was allowed to cross, but all the same Naruto understood what she meant and sat up immediately.

"I'd never order you to do such a thing, you know that right?" Naruto remembered where he had found Shui, the condition she'd been in and the type of people that held her leash; it disgusted him then and it disgusted him now.

Shui didn't answer with words but with action, slowly climbing onto his bed and placing her hands on his chest. The slightly blush that dusted her cheeks drew Naruto's gaze the most, reminding him that she was still innocent to intimate things, and thus didn't resist when she gently pushed him back down. Any other member of the Fire Nation wouldn't have allowed a Water Tribe slave to do such things, especially a waterbender.

"You've given me so much, been kinder to me than anyone would have, now please let me help you. Seeing you so angry, I can feel it in your very presence, and it hurt," Shui whispered as she leaned in close to Naruto's face, their lips not even an inch apart now, and her long white hair blocking them both from the outside world.

"I…"

Naruto didn't get much further before he felt soft lips against his own, gentle and relaxing. For a moment, just a small moment, Naruto forgot everything Ozai told him.

The two of them wouldn't go any further than just a kiss, it wasn't safe to do so in the heart of the Fire Nation, but Naruto would hold Shui close for the rest of the night. He'd never slept so peacefully before.

* * *

Of the people assembled in the Fire Lord's secret war room, for those meetings that could not afford a spy of any sort overhearing anything important, Naruto only knew two people personally. The first was Fire Lord Ozai himself, sitting at the head of the table in which a map of the Earth Kingdom was carved upon, as imposing and controlling as ever. The second person, seated as Ozai's left hand and with a rather condescending smirk, was the royal princess, better known as Azula.

Despite only being fourteen years old, a few years younger than Naruto himself, Azula had the body of a young woman. Her long black hair was held up in a traditional Fire Nation bun, aside from two bangs framing her face, while her sharp gold eyes looked down on everyone as if they were beneath her. Naruto learned, over his time growing up in the palace and learning from both Ozai and Iroh, that Azula's personality left much to be desired when it came to dealing with others. Her social skills were almost nonexistent, she was quick to anger when things didn't go her way, and she honestly tried to act like her father far too much to be considered healthy by any means. Still, one must work with the tools presented to them.

"General Uzumaki," Ozai greeted in a tone that was all professional, leaving no doubt that this was an important meeting.

"My Lord," Naruto took a few steps forward and bowed, moving to take an open seat next to an older looking man that looked more like a thinker than a fighter.

"No," Ozai spoke up, catching everyone's attention as he motioned to the cushion on his right, a seat normally reserved for the crown prince, "Today you will be my right hand."

It was well out of the norm, breaking tradition that had been in place since long before the reign of Fire Lord Sozin, but one did not argue tradition with a man such as Ozai. Naruto moved around the table once more, passing by a few of his fellow Generals that he only knew by reputation, before ascending the few steps that led up to Ozai's elevated position. He bowed once more, as was expected, before taking his new seat without a word. Azula's smirk widened ever so slightly, going from condescending to downright predatory, and out the corner of his eyes, Naruto could see Ozai's lip twitch just a bit in satisfaction.

Ah, now Naruto understood. This was to show he was in the Fire Lord's favor, even over his own banished son, and make it clear to those in the room that his opinion carried weight.

"War Minister Qin, you may begin," once again, Ozai's words left no room for argument and the War Minister knew it; he immediately jumped to his feet.

"Thank you, my lord," Qin began, reaching for a pointing stick placed in front of him, "As we are all aware, the last Earth Kingdom stronghold of Ba Sing Se had withstood attack after attack for the last one-hundred years of the war. Only in recent years have we managed to break through the outermost wall, only to have the General in charge leave and doom the greatest success we've ever achieved on that front. After studying those reports, I've determined that they used several blasting compounds along the base of the wall to bring just a small section of it down; placed there in the dead of night as to not be noticed. It's for this reason I believe that same section of the wall is still weak even after being repaired."

Naruto suppressed a twitch as the subtle insult to Iroh, who had lost his son at that time and returned home to grieve, this was a man he did not like in the slightest.

"I believe this very section would be most suitable for Operation _Crumbling Wall_ to begin and be most effective. The soil at the foundation is still loose and reports claim the earthbenders that repaired this section of the wall were rushed due to being under constant attack by remaining Fire Nation soldiers," Qin continued, pointing to each section he was talking about and moving little model Fire Nation flags as if directing a board game.

"What is Operation _Crumbling Wall_?" Naruto asked, having never heard of such an operation and thus couldn't form a proper opinion on what he was hearing.

One of the other Generals in the room spoke up, "Operation _Crumbling Wall_ revolves around a device being supervised and created by War Minister Qin; a massive drill designed to bore through the supposedly impenetrable wall of Ba Sing Se and allow a way for our troops to enter into the first ring. From what our spies have told us, the outermost ring is used for farming and is the largest by far, meaning that if we take it then it would only be a matter of time before the city itself falls."

"A massive...drill?" that was...the stupidest thing he'd ever heard!

"I take it you disagree with War Minister Qin's plan?" Ozai inquired, skillfully hiding the amusement in his voice but not so much in his eyes; bringing Naruto into this meeting was proving to be an amusing choice on his part.

"The plan presented presents too much risk for so little reward. We already know that the outer walls can be taken down with carefully placed explosions and did so without leaving behind any of our more advanced technology for the Earth Kingdom to study. Now, while our tanks and other such things may have been reverse engineered over time, if this drill is to fail then who knows what they could create from it," Naruto explained, watching on as Qin's brow began to twitch rapidly and his face contorted with annoyance.

"Operation _Crumbling Wall_ has been in the works since the former General Iroh _failed_ to properly take advantage of the very opening he created. It. Will. Not. Fail!" Qin bit out the last few words, but Naruto's gaze upon him was like a sobering bucket of cold water being dumped on his head.

"No battle plan can anticipate all contingencies. There are always unexpected factors including those stemming from the opponent's initiative. A battle must thus become a balance between plan and improvisation, between error and correction," Naruto began, unaware of the way Ozai now smiled and Azula suppressed a shiver at Naruto's now chilling tone, "You've placed too much faith in your machine."

"Then how would you bring down the walls?" asked the General from before, curious as to what the young General had in mind.

"In my recent taking of the city Durjayan I employed agents to sneak into the city while the main army drew out the soldiers. I propose that we employ a similar strategy. It's a well known fact that refugees are constantly being allowed into Ba Sing Se, so it would not be hard to get our own agents inside…" Naruto continued on for quite some time after that, explaining the lengths and depths of a plan he was coming up with on the spot while also leaving room for some refinement; he even managed to include the massive waste of money that was Qin's drill.

Ozai loved listening to him work, like a father watching his son take his first steps. Or more accurately, an oppressive dictator watching a finely crafted weapon cleave its way through all obstacles with brutal efficiency.


End file.
